The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to apparatus and methods for diagnostic medical imaging, such as Nuclear Medicine (NM) imaging.
In NM imaging, systems with multiple detectors or detector heads may be used to image a subject, such as to scan a region of interest. For example, the detectors may be positioned adjacent the subject to acquire NM data.
In NM imaging systems, the resolution of the detector, in particular the gamma detector, is determined by the resolution of the detector (based on the size of pixels of the detector) and the resolution of a collimator attached to the detector. The resolution degrades with distance of the detector, specifically the collimator, from the subject.
In Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) systems having moving detector heads, the detectors may be positioned to focus on a region of interest. For example, a number of pinhole gamma cameras may be positioned to view a small region of interest (e.g., heart of the subject). However, these moving detector heads are not configured to operate, for example, move in such a manner to allow general purpose imaging, such as of the entire subject. For example, because of the size and spacing of the detector heads, when imaging a smaller subject, the detector heads may collide when moved in close proximity to the subject, thereby preventing placement of the detector heads close to the subject. Moreover, for larger subjects, gaps may exist between the detectors because the detectors have to be moved apart to allow for focusing on the field of view. Accordingly, because the detector heads cannot be moved in close proximity to the subject or as a result of the gaps between the detector heads, image resolution is reduced.